jjose712
4x Platinum Member
Joined: October 2012
Posts: 4,372
|
Post by jjose712 on Aug 24, 2016 14:49:28 GMT -5
The lyrics are kind of arggg, but it's difficult he leaves this path because this is exactly the kind of song that gave him success. I understand why people like Something big, it's a funny catchy teen song (which is way i hate it). He is a nice guy and fortunately i think he will avoid the phase of weird haircuts, multiple tatoos and seminude pics that every teen star seem necessary to transition to adult star (and of course the multiple scandals, fake girlfriends and all that jazz) Well, I found "Something Big" appealing because I just feel like it fits him very well. I can't see Shawn Mendes singing the exact same kind of pop that for example Ariana Grande does, but there is a void in which he perfectly fits in. He has even more potential because he's not a polished pop idol and he could sound really authentic. But "Treat you better" is not authentic at all, just like "Stitches". He sounds like he's trying way too hard to be romantic, and I'm not only talking about the lyrics (I'm not usually paying that much attention to the lyrics) but the delivery. I'm not saying that it lacks passion, but it sounds like bad acting, trying way too hard and failing miserably. I don't even dislike "Stitches" and "Treat you better" (or most of his other songs for that matter) but I feel like his current persona is way too cheesy to treat him as a serious player in the music industry. These acoustic guitar guys are usually gone pretty fast, and he has potential to create something that actually sounds original, like his own. There's a big problem with teen singers, and with teen stars transitioning to adult stars. Most songs of teen singers are laughable, hey maybe it's because i'm old but those our love is forever in a 16 y o voice sounds a little absurd. But it's not the singers problem, it's the labels. Love is not the only theme you can sing, there are singers who only have love songs, and i can understand that in albums like 21 or In the lonely hour because they have a theme (based on a real experience), but for a teen singers there should be a lot more options. One thing that i like about country is that in a lot of songs they simply tell a story, that's missed in most pop songs. I liked Shawn's debut. I know a lot of people find Life of the party boring, but i find it way more interesting than most teen singers do, and i like he went in a totally different direction. It's not Happy little pill (which is a very interesting debut) but i find someone like Troye Sivan has a big advantage in terms of sound, i doubt nobody in his label expect him to be totally mainstream or have girls swooning for him. And that's Shawn's problem, the label expect him to be some kind or hearthrob, they want to push the romantic side. Of the three male models of mainstream success, singers who are able to carry singles and albums sales, they push the only one who can suit him (he obviously can be a teen version of Bruno Mars or Sam Smith). The problem is that they push the most boring side of Ed Sheeran, because Ed has a lot of sides, but i can't see Shawn pushing a song like Don't or like The A team. I think it's good he is not going the usual route of dating fake girlfriends for the sake of promotion, or trashing hotel rooms, or dressing like he was ready to an orgy in a sex club, but it would be very good if he was able to go far from the romantic ballad with guitar. And it's nice the teen girls have a good guy to cheer (instead the usual models of bad behaviour) but the lyrics of Treat you better are a little off putting, sound like too self righteous (at least they are not as bad as OD Steal my girl). The song is catchy, and it's going to be a hit but he better go in a different direction with next single
|
|
Harx
5x Platinum Member
Joined: August 2016
Posts: 5,016
|
Post by Harx on Aug 24, 2016 15:23:35 GMT -5
Well, I found "Something Big" appealing because I just feel like it fits him very well. I can't see Shawn Mendes singing the exact same kind of pop that for example Ariana Grande does, but there is a void in which he perfectly fits in. He has even more potential because he's not a polished pop idol and he could sound really authentic. But "Treat you better" is not authentic at all, just like "Stitches". He sounds like he's trying way too hard to be romantic, and I'm not only talking about the lyrics (I'm not usually paying that much attention to the lyrics) but the delivery. I'm not saying that it lacks passion, but it sounds like bad acting, trying way too hard and failing miserably. I don't even dislike "Stitches" and "Treat you better" (or most of his other songs for that matter) but I feel like his current persona is way too cheesy to treat him as a serious player in the music industry. These acoustic guitar guys are usually gone pretty fast, and he has potential to create something that actually sounds original, like his own. There's a big problem with teen singers, and with teen stars transitioning to adult stars. Most songs of teen singers are laughable, hey maybe it's because i'm old but those our love is forever in a 16 y o voice sounds a little absurd. But it's not the singers problem, it's the labels. Love is not the only theme you can sing, there are singers who only have love songs, and i can understand that in albums like 21 or In the lonely hour because they have a theme (based on a real experience), but for a teen singers there should be a lot more options. One thing that i like about country is that in a lot of songs they simply tell a story, that's missed in most pop songs. I liked Shawn's debut. I know a lot of people find Life of the party boring, but i find it way more interesting than most teen singers do, and i like he went in a totally different direction. It's not Happy little pill (which is a very interesting debut) but i find someone like Troye Sivan has a big advantage in terms of sound, i doubt nobody in his label expect him to be totally mainstream or have girls swooning for him. And that's Shawn's problem, the label expect him to be some kind or hearthrob, they want to push the romantic side. Of the three male models of mainstream success, singers who are able to carry singles and albums sales, they push the only one who can suit him (he obviously can be a teen version of Bruno Mars or Sam Smith). The problem is that they push the most boring side of Ed Sheeran, because Ed has a lot of sides, but i can't see Shawn pushing a song like Don't or like The A team. I think it's good he is not going the usual route of dating fake girlfriends for the sake of promotion, or trashing hotel rooms, or dressing like he was ready to an orgy in a sex club, but it would be very good if he was able to go far from the romantic ballad with guitar. And it's nice the teen girls have a good guy to cheer (instead the usual models of bad behaviour) but the lyrics of Treat you better are a little off putting, sound like too self righteous (at least they are not as bad as OD Steal my girl). The song is catchy, and it's going to be a hit but he better go in a different direction with next single Bruno Mars managed to change the general direction of his career. Back in 2011 he was the ballad guy, I liked most of his songs but there was nothing really interesting or special about him until he started incorporating that retro vibe into his music. "Locked out of heaven" was the single that really showed how great music can he pull off and since then most of his singles were not only good but also memorable. "Grenade" or "Just the way you are" are songs that are less likely to stand the test of time than "Uptown Funk", "Treasure" and "Locked out of heaven" for example, because these songs are more unique and memorable. As I said, these basic ballad and acoustic guitar guys come and go and they are not very likely to have a long term recognition or stand the test of time. Shawn Mendes can easily be a teen idol, but he will end up more like Ryan Cabrera rather than Justin Timberlake (using Timberlake as an example of a still relevant and well remembered artist who found his own style)
|
|
scrohr424
Gold Member
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 748
|
Post by scrohr424 on Aug 24, 2016 21:08:47 GMT -5
As JT said, the song on its own doesn't make the girl's situation look bad, but I think the video makes an okay case for the song. If it was something like that, like seeing that the girl was in an abusive relationship or something, instead of just saying, "This guy isn't treating you right", maybe it wouldn't be as hated. Yet, Teddy Geiger was behind this one, just like its predecessor.
Admittedly I think it sounds alright, but if it gets overplayed (which it probably will) I can see myself siding with the hating crowd.
|
|
jjose712
4x Platinum Member
Joined: October 2012
Posts: 4,372
|
Post by jjose712 on Aug 25, 2016 9:00:41 GMT -5
There's a big problem with teen singers, and with teen stars transitioning to adult stars. Most songs of teen singers are laughable, hey maybe it's because i'm old but those our love is forever in a 16 y o voice sounds a little absurd. But it's not the singers problem, it's the labels. Love is not the only theme you can sing, there are singers who only have love songs, and i can understand that in albums like 21 or In the lonely hour because they have a theme (based on a real experience), but for a teen singers there should be a lot more options. One thing that i like about country is that in a lot of songs they simply tell a story, that's missed in most pop songs. I liked Shawn's debut. I know a lot of people find Life of the party boring, but i find it way more interesting than most teen singers do, and i like he went in a totally different direction. It's not Happy little pill (which is a very interesting debut) but i find someone like Troye Sivan has a big advantage in terms of sound, i doubt nobody in his label expect him to be totally mainstream or have girls swooning for him. And that's Shawn's problem, the label expect him to be some kind or hearthrob, they want to push the romantic side. Of the three male models of mainstream success, singers who are able to carry singles and albums sales, they push the only one who can suit him (he obviously can be a teen version of Bruno Mars or Sam Smith). The problem is that they push the most boring side of Ed Sheeran, because Ed has a lot of sides, but i can't see Shawn pushing a song like Don't or like The A team. I think it's good he is not going the usual route of dating fake girlfriends for the sake of promotion, or trashing hotel rooms, or dressing like he was ready to an orgy in a sex club, but it would be very good if he was able to go far from the romantic ballad with guitar. And it's nice the teen girls have a good guy to cheer (instead the usual models of bad behaviour) but the lyrics of Treat you better are a little off putting, sound like too self righteous (at least they are not as bad as OD Steal my girl). The song is catchy, and it's going to be a hit but he better go in a different direction with next single Bruno Mars managed to change the general direction of his career. Back in 2011 he was the ballad guy, I liked most of his songs but there was nothing really interesting or special about him until he started incorporating that retro vibe into his music. "Locked out of heaven" was the single that really showed how great music can he pull off and since then most of his singles were not only good but also memorable. "Grenade" or "Just the way you are" are songs that are less likely to stand the test of time than "Uptown Funk", "Treasure" and "Locked out of heaven" for example, because these songs are more unique and memorable. As I said, these basic ballad and acoustic guitar guys come and go and they are not very likely to have a long term recognition or stand the test of time. Shawn Mendes can easily be a teen idol, but he will end up more like Ryan Cabrera rather than Justin Timberlake (using Timberlake as an example of a still relevant and well remembered artist who found his own style) Yes, i remember Bruno being recognized for his ballads (even when Grenade and the lazy song are more midtempos), but Bruno is in his own league, he can do whatever he wants, he is an amazing live performer and i frankly think we just didn't see the best of him yet. When you fall into a niche is very difficult to try something different, you have pressure from the label and even from the fans who want more of the same (till they get tired). I will be interesting to see which kind of song chose Sam Smith to return, he has a very curious situation because in Uk he has absolutely no problem because he had a good bunch of hits with totally different songs, but in the USA he only had hits with ballads (of course he can avoid that problem if Lady Gaga ends releasing their duet). If Ed Sheeran is the model, Shawn only needs to expand his song, release some uptempos and specially songs with a different kind of lyrics. Not going the Bieber route is good for him (we all know what happened with Austin Mahone), i can't see him going the Justin Timberlake route, but there's no reason to not release something lighter or even danceable
|
|
Harx
5x Platinum Member
Joined: August 2016
Posts: 5,016
|
Post by Harx on Aug 25, 2016 9:05:57 GMT -5
I have another big problem with this song, something worse than being just a cheesy acoustic guitar love song. Nothing in the lyrics indicates that this is about domestic violence, but if it is, if this is what the message of the song is supposed to be (especially looking at the video) this is an awful approach to the subject. People who wrote this clearly have zero understanding for such a relationship. I mean if you look at this as a song about domestic violence, Mendes looks like a complete d*ck. He does not have any empathy or an actual understanding for a woman going through abusive relationship. The only thing he cares about here is how to pick her up, why am I supposed to believe that he's even the right person for her if he doesn't understand her suffering? You can't just quit an abusive relationship to be with a better person, it's a psychological trap. She needs to be the main focus on the song and the narrator helping her end the toxic relationship, not some guy who finds her hot and uses this abusive relationship only as a pretext for a cheesy love song. This wouldn't be such a problem if they didn't make it so clear that this is about domestic violence, but this way it even kinda ruins this song as a guilty pleasure for me.
|
|
MTSChart21
4x Platinum Member
"My Name's Blurryface"
If I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you
Joined: October 2015
Posts: 4,347
|
Post by MTSChart21 on Aug 29, 2016 14:09:26 GMT -5
Top 10 on the Hot 100 (at #10)!
|
|
jjose712
4x Platinum Member
Joined: October 2012
Posts: 4,372
|
Post by jjose712 on Aug 29, 2016 15:17:51 GMT -5
I have another big problem with this song, something worse than being just a cheesy acoustic guitar love song. Nothing in the lyrics indicates that this is about domestic violence, but if it is, if this is what the message of the song is supposed to be (especially looking at the video) this is an awful approach to the subject. People who wrote this clearly have zero understanding for such a relationship. I mean if you look at this as a song about domestic violence, Mendes looks like a complete d*ck. He does not have any empathy or an actual understanding for a woman going through abusive relationship. The only thing he cares about here is how to pick her up, why am I supposed to believe that he's even the right person for her if he doesn't understand her suffering? You can't just quit an abusive relationship to be with a better person, it's a psychological trap. She needs to be the main focus on the song and the narrator helping her end the toxic relationship, not some guy who finds her hot and uses this abusive relationship only as a pretext for a cheesy love song. This wouldn't be such a problem if they didn't make it so clear that this is about domestic violence, but this way it even kinda ruins this song as a guilty pleasure for me. To be honest, i never get the vibe of this being about domestic violence, it's more like a girl chosing the wrong guy (or at least the one the singer thinks it's the wrong guy). Nothing in the song hints about domestic violence, in fact in the song it's difficult to know why Shawn is the better choice (maybe the girl prefers bad guys). In my opinion not even the video is explicit about domestic violence, yes there's violence, but not more than in WE found love, in that case was meant to show a passionate relationship in this case to show that it's a wrong relationship. I doubt the lyrics are beyond the "you should chose me becasue i'm a good guy". Generally when writers want to touch a sensitive matter are way more explicit And i heard a new song from his album, but i expect it's not his new single because it's quite similar to this
|
|
|
Post by Daryl the Beryl on Sept 7, 2016 4:48:00 GMT -5
Top 5 on Pop:
6 5 SHAWN MENDES Treat You Better 12607 11902 705 75.224
|
|
musiciscool
9x Platinum Member
Joined: December 2012
Posts: 9,768
|
Post by musiciscool on Sept 20, 2016 10:23:04 GMT -5
POP: 6 4 SHAWN MENDES Treat You Better 14515 13106 1409 86.216
+162 Spins +7 Bullet +1.115 Audience
HOT AC: 7 5 SHAWN MENDES Treat You Better 5182 4816 366 33.203
+64 Spins +24 Bullet +0.397 Audience
|
|
nightshade
Diamond Member
I'm adaptable.
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 10,693
|
Post by nightshade on Sept 20, 2016 15:01:39 GMT -5
The guitar in this reminds me of Burn by Ellie. Just me?
|
|
Dylan :)
Diamond Member
smth 'bout youu
Joined: October 2014
Posts: 12,484
|
Post by Dylan :) on Sept 20, 2016 15:04:37 GMT -5
The guitar in this reminds me of Burn by Ellie. Just me?
|
|
nightshade
Diamond Member
I'm adaptable.
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 10,693
|
Post by nightshade on Sept 20, 2016 15:11:42 GMT -5
|
|
McCreerian
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2010
Posts: 9,068
|
Post by McCreerian on Sept 25, 2016 19:45:35 GMT -5
#3 on Top 40, great shot at going #1 soon!
|
|
musiciscool
9x Platinum Member
Joined: December 2012
Posts: 9,768
|
Post by musiciscool on Sept 25, 2016 20:20:55 GMT -5
#3 on Top 40, great shot at going #1 soon! It has to be able to overtake "Closer" to get there.
|
|
MTSChart21
4x Platinum Member
"My Name's Blurryface"
If I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you
Joined: October 2015
Posts: 4,347
|
Post by MTSChart21 on Sept 27, 2016 7:31:32 GMT -5
New peak of #6 on the Hot 100!
|
|
lancey
Platinum Member
Joined: April 2007
Posts: 1,759
|
Post by lancey on Oct 2, 2016 4:52:31 GMT -5
Every time this song comes on the radio I turn the dial, his voice is so annoying !!! Sounds like a kid going through puberty..
|
|
|
Post by It's me, bitch. on Oct 10, 2016 23:22:30 GMT -5
Officially number 2.
|
|
Harx
5x Platinum Member
Joined: August 2016
Posts: 5,016
|
Post by Harx on Nov 14, 2016 13:07:00 GMT -5
I take back all the "so bad it's good" defense I had for this song. The entire thing just feels pathetic to me. And the "bettah than he can!!!" part is ear grating. I don't even see the "awful in a funny way" appeal anymore. I think this is a very embarassing hit song to have and I really hope that he does improve with his next album, because I still think he has potential to make good music.
|
|